Gas Safety System

ABSTRACT

A gas safety system. The gas safety system includes an actuatable electric solenoid valve connected inline with a gas line, and operably connected to a control unit, such as a timer or a smart home system. The timer may be used to set a user-defined length of time for the solenoid valve to be in an open position, thereby allowing gas to flow through the gas line for no longer than the user-defined length of time. The smart home system may be used to remotely control an actuation of the solenoid valve, thereby enabling a user to remotely actuate the solenoid valve between the open position and the closed position. The stove safety system is useful for preventing a fire, an explosion, or another emergency caused by leaving the gas line open during use of a variety of gas appliances, such as gas stoves and the like.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/611,739 filed on Dec. 29, 2017. The above identified patent application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety to provide continuity of disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a gas safety system for improving a safety of a gas appliance, such as a gas stove or a gas oven.

Gas appliances, including gas stoves and gas ovens, are commonplace. Gas is a valuable and abundant source of energy for heating and cooking, but use of gas appliances introduces a plurality of hazards. A hazard commonly encountered by individuals using these appliances includes leaving the gas appliance on for an extended period of time, such as may occur during a preparation of a meal that requires a long period of time to cook, or during an absence of an individual who is or was using the gas appliance. This hazard presents a risk to a building in which the gas appliance is installed, and also presents a risk to individuals inside the building. Objects near the gas appliance may catch fire after the long period of time, or a flame of the gas appliance could extinguish, thereby filling the building with flammable gas that presents a risk of an explosion.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for a gas safety system for improving a safety of a gas appliance. The present invention addresses this unmet need.

Devices have been disclosed in the art that relate to gas appliance safety. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices are often inconvenient to use or are not modular or compatible with a range of appliances. In view of the devices disclosed in the art, it is submitted that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing gas safety systems. In view of the present disclosure, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in structural and functional elements from devices in the art, and the present invention substantially fulfills an unmet need in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the disadvantages inherent in the known types of gas safety systems in the art, the present invention provides a new and improved gas safety system, wherein the same can be utilized for improving a safety of a gas appliance, such as a gas stove or a gas oven.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gas safety system for a gas appliance.

In one aspect, the invention provides a gas safety system, comprising a gas line configured to deliver a volume of gas from a gas source to a gas appliance, an actuatable electric solenoid valve connected inline with the gas line, and a control unit operably connected to the actuatable electric solenoid valve. The control unit is configured to actuate the actuatable electric solenoid valve to effect movement of the volume of gas from the gas source to the gas appliance via the gas line.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas safety system that may be readily manufactured from materials that permit relative economy and are commensurate with durability.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

Although the characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manners in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout.

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic of an exemplary embodiment of a gas safety system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the invention. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered limiting in any respect.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is depicted a schematic of an exemplary embodiment of a gas safety system. The gas safety system 1 includes a gas line 2 configured to deliver a volume of gas from a gas source 3 to a gas appliance 4, an actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 connected inline with the gas line 2, and a control unit 6 operably connected to the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 to effect movement of the volume of gas from the gas source 3 to the gas appliance 4 via the gas line 2. Generally, the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 is connected inline with the gas line 2 at a position upstream of an entry point 13 of the gas line 2 into the gas appliance 4. In this manner, the gas safety system 1 is modular, making it compatible with a range of different types of gas appliances, or able to be retained if the gas appliance 4 is upgraded or replaced. Generally, the gas appliance 4 may be a gas stove, a gas oven, or any other gas appliance suitable for use with the gas safety system 1.

In the shown embodiment, the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 is connected inline with the gas line 2 at a position of the gas line 2 that is inside an interior of a building, as indicated by a building exterior wall 17. In some embodiments, the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 is connected inline with the gas line 2 at a position of the gas line 2 that is outside the interior of the building (e.g., to the left of the building exterior wall 17). In this manner, the volume of gas from the gas source 3 to the entire building may be actuatable by the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5, thereby enabling a user to disable movement of the volume of gas at or closer to the source, improving a safety of the gas safety system 1.

In some embodiments, the control unit 6 includes a timer configured to open the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 to start movement of the volume of gas from the gas source 3 to the gas appliance 4 via the gas line 2 at an onset of a user-determined length of time, and further configured to close the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 to stop movement of the volume of gas from the gas source 3 to the gas appliance 4 via the gas line 2 at a conclusion of the user-determined length of time. In some embodiments, the timer is connected inline with an electric circuit, wherein the timer includes an electric switch that is configured to close the electric circuit at the onset of the user-determined length of time, and that is further configured to open the electric circuit at the conclusion of the user-determined length of time.

In some embodiments, the control unit 6 includes a computer having a non-transitory data storage medium, a processor, and an executable logic stored on the non-transitory data storage medium configured to be executed by the processor, wherein an execution of the executable logic enables the user to transform a setting of the computer to actuate the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5, to start or stop movement of the volume of gas from the gas source 3 to the gas appliance 4 via the gas line 2. In some embodiments, the control unit 6 is operably connected to a network, and the control unit 6 is configured to enable the user to remotely transform the setting of the computer to actuate the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5, e.g., from a location distal to a location of the control unit 6. The network may be any network suitable for telecommunication, including but not limited to a wired network, a wireless network, an intranet, and an internet. In this manner, the user can conveniently operate the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 from any location that is convenient for the user, thereby improving the safety of the gas safety system 1.

Generally, the control unit 6 is operably connected to the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 via electric circuitry, which includes electrical connections carrying a direct current, such as connection 10, connection 16, and connection 12. An alternating current to direct current converter (AC-DC converter) 8 is included to convert an alternating current of a standard wall outlet 7 to a direct current for use by the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5. In this manner, connection 9 and connection 11 carry alternating current, and connections 10, 16, and 12 carry direct current that passes through the control unit 6 and the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5. The AC-DC converter 8 may be a 12-volt direct current (VDC) digital switch adaptor, having a 120-volt alternating current (VAC) input. In an exemplary embodiment, the AC-DC converter 8 includes a 100-240 VAC at 50/60 Hz input, and a 12 VDC at 2 Amps (24 Watts) output. The actuatable electric solenoid valve 5 includes an electric ground connection 14, configured to improve the safety and a durability of the gas safety system 1.

In some embodiments, the gas line 2 includes a manual valve 15, configured to effect movement of the volume of gas from the gas source 3 to the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5. In this manner, movement of the volume of gas through the electric solenoid valve 5 may easily be controlled for maintenance or replacement of the actuatable electric solenoid valve 5.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and its embodiments with modifications as suited to the use contemplated.

It is therefore submitted that the present invention has been shown and described in the most practical and exemplary embodiments. It should be recognized that departures may be made which fall within the scope of the invention. With respect to the description provided herein, it is submitted that the optimal features of the invention include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly, and use. All structures, functions, and relationships equivalent or essentially equivalent to those disclosed are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 

I claim: 1) A gas safety system, comprising: a gas line configured to deliver a volume of gas from a gas source to a gas appliance; an actuatable electric solenoid valve connected inline with the gas line; a control unit operably connected to the actuatable electric solenoid valve, wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the actuatable electric solenoid valve to effect movement of the volume of gas from the gas source to the gas appliance via the gas line. 2) The gas safety system of claim 1, wherein the gas appliance includes a gas stove or a gas oven. 3) The gas safety system of claim 1, wherein the actuatable electric solenoid valve is connected inline with the gas line at a position upstream of an entry point of the gas line into the gas appliance. 4) The gas safety system of claim 3, wherein the actuatable electric solenoid valve is connected inline with the gas line at a position of the gas line that is inside an interior of a building. 5) The gas safety system of claim 3, wherein the actuatable electric solenoid valve is connected inline with the gas line at a position of the gas line that is outside an interior of a building. 6) The gas safety system of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a timer configured to open the actuatable electric solenoid valve to start flow of the volume of gas from the gas source to the gas appliance via the gas line at an onset of a user-determined length of time, and further configured to close the actuatable electric solenoid valve to stop flow of the volume of gas from the gas source to the gas appliance via the gas line at a conclusion of the user-determined length of time. 7) The gas safety system of claim 6, wherein the timer is connected inline with an electric circuit, wherein the timer includes an electric switch that is configured to close the electric circuit at the onset of the user-determined length of time, and that is further configured to open the electric circuit at the conclusion of the user-determined length of time. 8) The gas safety system of claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a computer having a non-transitory data storage medium, a processor, and an executable logic stored on the non-transitory data storage medium configured to be executed by the processor, wherein an execution of the executable logic enables a user to transform a setting of the computer to actuate the actuatable electric solenoid valve, to start or stop flow of the volume of gas from the gas source to the gas appliance via the gas line. 9) The gas safety system of claim 8, wherein the control unit is operably connected to a network, and wherein the control unit is configured to enable the user to transform the setting of the computer to remotely actuate the actuatable electric solenoid valve. 10) The gas safety system of claim 9, wherein the network includes at least one selected from a group consisting of: a wired network, a wireless network, an intranet, and an internet. 